Electrolytic apparatus



15 3 A. E. KNOWLES A 1,866,472

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS Fi led June 24, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTION A -KNOWL"E s ATTORNEY July 5, 1932. Y I A. E. KNOWLES 1,866,472

ELECTROLYTIC APPARATUS Filed June 24, 1930 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 a a J w Gw- I ATBKNO wL-B 5 'r-ro'nway Patented July 5, 1932 ALBERT ureen KNowLEs, 'oF nswA L, ENGLAND ELECTRQLYTIC nrrARAmus Application filed J'une24j1930, Seria1N0.'463,378, and in Great Britain J'u1y'6, 1929.

This invention relates to means for auto matically controlling the level of liquid 1n and for washing the gases evolved from electrolyte cells such as are employed for the 5 electrolytic production of oxygen and hydroen. g My invention refers particularly to appara tusof the type in which 'the'gases evolved from a cell or cells are washed by causing them to bubble througlrfeed water contained in washing chambers to which the supply of water is controlled by a valve operated'by a float in a third" chamber or tank from which water is drawn olf tomake'up the level of the electrolyte in the cell or'cells. As water is drawn off from this tank more water is admitted to the washing chambers from which it passes into thefeed tank, so that all electrolyte washed out of the gases is returned to the cell or cells. I V

The object of the present modification or improvement, is to arrange this apparatus so that it will prevent varying pressures within certain limits on the gas outlet side from affecting gas pressures within the gas bells. A- further object is to ensure a uniform and constant gas space within the gas bells for fa cilitating the efliective, separation of spray from the gas within the bells before it passes up the uptake pipes to the collectingmains. V The invention thus combines a means for equalizing and controlling the pressures in a number of cells with an automatic feed waterand gas washing arrangement to these cells. q 7

. In accordance with the invention, I employ gas washingchambers and the liquid tank with an overflow pipe from each gas washing chamberas before, but instead of carrying the outflow pipe direct into the tank containing the liquid supply control float, I

connect the outflow pipe from each" chamber into a further chamber within the tank which itselfhas an adjustable outflow pipe within it leading into the tank. This further chamber into which the outlet pipes from the gas washers lead is really a small subsidiary tank. It is disposed between the chambers with the upper orifice of its outlet pipe'above the gas orifices in the gas washing chambers. By this means, by regulating the height of a single oulet pipe inthis subsidiary chamber, the inlet gas'pressure, due to the level of the water in the washers above the gas orifice, can be fixed as desired and must be alike in each gas washer, and consequently would be alike on both sides of the diaphragms in the respective cells;

- In the example illustrated Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of the apparatus.

Figure 2 is a plan thereof.

Figure 3 is a view of the unitary pressure regulating apparatus removed from the tank. I a, b are the two gas washing chambers and cis the tank or third chamber which receives the overflow from the two chambers and feeds the liquid to the cells by connections 00. d represents the valve arranged in this tank or third chamber actuated by a float e therein, which valve controls the supply of water to the gas washing chambers.

The gas inlets leading from the cells to the chambers a and Z) are at f and the gas outlets therefrom are at g. In the chambers are means for bringing the gas and the washing liquid into intimatecontact. Theseare shown as open tubes h leading through a partition 2' above the gas outlet 9 down to a lower plate 7' below the level of the top of the liquid overflow pipes from the chambers to the tank 0.

I arrange the tank 0 as a shallow tank of large horizontal dimensions below the two chambers a and I) so that a large volume of liquid, at a'low and nearly uniform. head, is available to meet sudden demands from the electrolyte cells (not shown). 7

The tank 0 is shown rectangular and the two washing chambers a, b are seated upon it with space between them for the control mechamsm.

So far arrangements follow substantially on the lines of the patent above referred to.

The liquid outflow pipe from each chamber a, b is arranged to be adjustable so that its height above the bottoms of the tubes k can be set accurately tosuit requirements. These outflow pipes 70 are connected into a subsidiary chamber or compartment m within the tank 0 but have no communication with it except by an adjustable stand pipe n. The compartment m extends up out of the tank 0 a sufiicient distance to enable the stand pipe n within it to have its orifice above the gas orifice at the bottoms of the tubes h in the gas washing chambers.

The most convenient arrangement is to connect up the two outflow pipes k and this subsidiary compartment m into one structure byflanged connections 0,.so that the compartment m (which need only bea tube closed at the bottom) and the pipes k are moved bodily as the pipes are adjusted in the chambers a and b, and the compartment is supported entirely by the pipes. The pipes are screwed externally for the greater part of their length and sockets p are screwed onto them and are inserted in holes in the chambers a, b and welded therein; or these sockets may be screwed externally and clamped by nuts each side the bottom plate, or secured in any other suitable way. The lock nuts also threaded on the screwed pipes, are tightened up against the sockets p to lock the pipes in the position in which they have been set in the sockets.

The small diameter stand pipe n in the tubular compartment m is also screwed externally for some distance from its lower end and is screwed through an internally screwthreaded socket r and locked by a back nut a. The socket 1* may be welded in the bottom of the compartment m.

The liquid supply to the gas washing chamhers, via the passage controlled by the valve d to the branches t and connections as into the bottom parts of the chambers a, and b, follows the arrangement in the Patent #1,767,375, issued June 24:, 1930.

In practice, after first setting of the apparatus the regulation of the height of the single stand pipe 7 regulates the inlet gas pressure. For example, if the orifice of this pipe in this subsidiary compartment is four inches above the bottom of the tubes h in the washers a and Z), then there will be a constant pressure of four inches of water'on the gas inside all the bells of. the cells connected to these washers.

As the level of the liquid in the cells outside the gas belis is maintained at a constant level, by the action of the float valve,it follows that the level of the liquid inside the bells is by this arrangement, which imposes a constant pressure on the gas therein, maintained at a constant level. This means that the gas space in the bells is constant and it can be so controlled as to ensure a certain minimum space for permitting the effective separation of the electrolyte spray from the gas on its way to the uptake and collecting mains.

I claim:

1. Automatic feed water and gas washing arrangement for electrolytic cells for the production of oxygen and hydrogen comprising in combination, a pair of gas washing chambers, one on each gas outflow from the cells; a liquid tank for feeding the liquid to the cells for decomposition, an outflow for liquid from each chamber to the tank, a liquid supply from a suitable source to the gas washers Which supply is controlled by a valve operated by a float in the cell feeding tank, and a unitary adjustable level control device in a compartment between the liquid out flows from the two washing chambers and their delivery connection to the cell feed tank, whereby the pressure on the gas imposed by the washing liquid is maintained constant in each chamber and on each gas and thus in each compartment of each cell.

2. Automatic feed water and gas washing arrangement for cells for the electrolytic production of oxygen and hydrogen comprising in combination, a gas washing chamber on each gas outflow from the cells, a shallow feed tank of large dimension on which the said washing chambers are supported, a liquid inlet to each gas washing chamber controlled by a valve which is operated by a float in the shallow feed tank, a compartment within said shallow feed tank, a liquid overflow from each chamber to said com partment in the tank and means in said compartment for controlling the outflows from said chambers so as to equalize the liquid level and consequently the pressure imposed on the gas in said washing cham- 3. Automatic feed water and gas washing arrangement for electrolytic cells comprising means for washing each gas as it passes from the cells, means for feeding water thereto, a common means for feeding water to the cells with which the gas washing means communicate, and means for controlling the outfiow from, said washing means to said common cell-feeding means so that the same inlet pressure is imposed on the gas in each washing means and consequently on each side of the diaphragms of the cells connected to the gas washing and liquid feeding' arrangement, said means for controlling the outflow from the washing. means to the cell feeding means comprising a compartment separate from the feeding means but communicating therewith in which compartment an adjustable outflow pipe is arranged Whoseorifice in the compartment is arranged above the level of the gas inlet orifices in the gas Washers. s

4. In automatic gas Washing and Water feeding arrangements for cells producing oxygen and hydrogen by the electrolytic decomposition of water, in which the supply of Water to the cells is made through the gas Washing chambers and is controlled by means of a valve operated by a float in the feeding tank for the cells, the arrangement of a unified liquid level control for the two gas washing chambers between the liquid outlets from the chambers and the inlet to the feed tank. I

In testimony whereof I aifix my signature. ALBERT EDGAR KNOWLES. 

